Lincoln Proposal Rushed And Flawed

TEU released its submission on Lincoln
University’s wide-ranging qualifications reform proposal
today, outlining its concerns that the university’s
proposal is rushed and flawed.

TEU members and others at
the university have had just four weeks to consult on one of
the most significant proposals to restructure a university
in New Zealand’s recent history. Hundreds of jobs may be
affected, as are the study options for thousands of
students. However, consultation on the proposal has
concluded before students have returned to campus for their
first lecture of the year.

"We are extremely concerned
about the haste in which this proposal has been drafted, the
lack of detail for many of the changes proposed, and the
lack of transparency with regard to consultation with
stakeholders," said TEU deputy secretary Nanette
Cormack.

"We regularly asked for more information so that
we can provide a properly informed response but did not get
it. We eventually received some of that information when the
consultation period was more than half over. This consisted
of enormous volumes of material that we
were unable to share with members, which we were then
somehow meant to analyse, critique and integrate into our
submission in a very short time-frame. There is still
information that has not been sent to us, which is in breach
of employment relations legislation," said Ms Cormack.

"An
individual staff member or student with an interest in their
university almost certainly would not have been able to
respond to the amount of material in the time available.
They have been excluded from having their voices heard,"
said TEU's Lincoln University branch president Stuart
Larsen.

"We are not opposed to change at Lincoln
University but we believe the Proposal for Qualification
Reform is based on unproven assumptions about student
satisfaction with the university’s current programme and
qualification structure, and poorly-evidenced statements
about future industry requirements. We think change to any
tertiary education programme needs to comply with a vigorous
academic process, rather than be driven purely by financial
motives," said Ms Cormack.

"We don’t believe that the
proposal will meet the required standard for CUAP, and will
expose Lincoln University and its staff to a rushed and
flawed qualification system that may fail," said Ms
Cormack.

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